Education: Topic 1 (flashacards done)
Material Deprevation
Capitals
Cultural Deprevation
"Rich, thick kids do better than poor, clever children" - Michael Gove (2010)
Waldfogel and Washbrook (2010)
found that children from disadvantaged background were already up to a year behind more privileged children educationally by the age of 3
inequality starts even before school
facts about working class children
more likely to be in low school sets
more likely to underachieve at GCSE and A level
less likely to go to uni
more likely to leave school early
more likely to be poor readers when they start school
more likely to be suspended or excluded
less likely to be found in nursery schools
students fail because of cultural deficiencies in their family and home life
inappropriate norms and values
inadequate socialisation, language (elaborate code)
they lack the right culture for academic success
Webber and butler (2007) x
Jerrim (2013)
Sugarman (1970) x
Hyman (1967) x
Douglas (1964) x
Operation Head Start - USA x
Sure Start - UK x
Keddie (1973) x
Bereiter and Engelmann (1966) x
Bernstein (1972) x
best predictor of achievement is the type of neighbourhood that pupils live in
the more middle class and affluent the area, the more successful the school tended to be
even the most talented were being left behind in education if they came from a lower-class background
talent is not enough to succeed
"High achieving boys from the most advantaged family backgrounds in England are roughly 2.5 years ahead of their counterparts in the least advantaged households by the age of 15"
working class values
middle class values
immediate gratification
fatalistic
present time orientation
collectivism
control
deferred gratification
future oriented
individualist
the values of the lower classes create a self-imposed barrier to learning
their values
low value on education
play safe culture - do not take risks/investment
low level of self-belief
working class parents place less value on education; the child then has a lower level of interest, attendance and motivation
advantages given by parent's education
parenting style
parent's educational behaviours
use of income
class, income and parental education
encourage active learning and exploration
high levels of expectation and discipline
gain/access to expert advise
recognise the value in extracurricular activities
but more educational toys/books/activities
better nutrition
parental education is a stand alone influence
the myth of cultural deprivation
dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on a culturally deprived home background
child cannot be deprived of its own culture and argues that working class children are simply culturally different, not culturally deprived
they fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an educations system that is dominated by middle class values
language in deprived households is deficient which has a substantial impact on a child's language development and as a result lack the ability to explain, describe, enquire, compare
the ability to explain, describe, enquire and compare are essential to the development of knowledge, abstract thinking and information retention needed to achieve within formal education
educated parents develop these skills within their children by using challenging language and praise to encourage learning from a young age
language is linked to developing understanding and thinking
Restricted Code
Elaborated Code
shorthand speech, short, simple sentences
assumed element to it
meanings are implicit
much depends on gesture and expression
detailed, explanatory, illustrative, analytical
meanings are explicit
enables skills needed to achieve well at school
mainly used in working class families and creates a hierarchy in the family
there is no discussion or elaborate dialogue
similar to the hierarchy in working class jobs
this language code disadvantage working class children
mainly used by middle class families and creates a flexible hierarchy
people are treated as individuals share decision making and negotiation are common place
non-manual jobs have more respect, freedom and independence
school operates with the elaborated code, and puts middle class children at an advantage
introduced in 1960s to provide comprehensive early education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income areas
2009 Deming evaluated it using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
stronger academic performance shown on test score for years afterwards
less likely to be diagnosed wuth learning difficulties
less likely to commit crime
more likely to graduate high school and attend college
less likely to suffer from poor health as an adult
aimed to tackle poverty and social exclusion by "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support and support with parental employment
2007 study by researchers from Oxford uni and Wales
a course teaching improved parenting skills had great benefits in reducing problem behaviour in young children
aim was to improve children's ability to learn by encouraging high quality environment that promote early learning, provide stimulating and enjoyable play and improve language skills
Bourdieu x
culture capital
educational capital
economic capital
cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement
Marxist
poverty and a lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income
hidden cost of education
Smith and Noble x
effects are cumulative
housing
diet and health
financial
private education and financial support
fear of debt (uni)
Howard x
critique
critique
Critique
this is divided into three forms of capital
the middle class are more successful because they generally possess more of the three forms of capital
class differences between middle-class and working-class students places working class students at a disadvantage
the culture of the school as giving inbuilt advantage to the middle-class children
wealth
qualifications
possession of cultural characteristics which allows pupils to gain more of the other types of capital
link between the three capitals as each can be used to gain more of the other two capitals
type of capital
economic capital
educational capital
cultural capital
helps middle class students to fit in with the elite universities, succeed in job interviews, running businesses
all of which allow them to gain access to economic capital
school culture is that of the dominant class
the middle/upper class has more access to this culture and therefore are at an advantage
the working class are less likely to have this cultural capital and therefore are more likely to underachieve
middle class students can buy extra support and go to private schools for better education
gives them better educational capital and cultural capital at private schools
middle class students can go to elite universities and get better jobs
gives better economic capital and cultural capital
exclusion rates are higher in families considered in poverty. 1/3 of excluded children never return to school
nearly 90% of "failing schools" are in deprived areas
1/3 of children on FSM achieve 5+ A-C GCSE compared to 2/3rd of other pupils
in 2013 there was a hidden cost of £1614 for basic school expenses - Aviva Family Finances Report
studied the effects of poverty on learning and suggested a number of reasons why low income can hinder learning
overcrowding
cold or damp houses can cause illness
disturbed sleep
lack of space to explore and play
harder to study
temporary accommodation can create stress and worry
poor quality - result in absences from school
those from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals
poorer houses diet often results in weaker immune systems and more absences and difficulty concentrating in class
children from poorer homes are more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems
catchment areas
less likely to have gone to nursery
affects development
few or no toys, books, computers, internet access
Tanner x
can't afford private tuition
more likely to have part-time jobs
conflict of demands
less likely to be able to afford post-16 education
cost of travel and resources
middle class areas often have stringer, more conformist role models
deprived areas often have a range of social problems
children are more likely to have discipline problems
higher turnover of teachers
underperforming schools
better learning environment
fewer behaviour issues
students from working class backgrounds are less likely to go to uni because of student debt
working part time creates a conflict of demand
children are less likely to take part in structured, out of school activities
marketization of education - increasing competition
no computer or access to internet, no desk, no educational toys, no books, sharing a bedroom with siblings, no heating
low income families cannot afford all of the hidden cost of state schools
Bull (1980) x
children from poor families often miss out because their parents do not earn enough to pay for educational supports such as computers and broadband, books and school trips
lack of money for school trips, sports equipment etc